From the beginning of Americas founding
memorials have been used to perpetuate ideals of our leaders. Despite cautions
one central theme was of a "militaristic empire"(Doss, 209). Ideas
such as liberty, freedom, and the republic as described by Doss were themes of
early constructionists and continue when modern
leaders consider construction of new memorials.
Classical symbols
of the Greek and Roman era were used in the construction of monuments of the
founding fathers. These include the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and
Horatio Greenough statue of George Washington for example. These imperial
symbols were used in promotion of territorial acquisition of foreign
territories and military conquests. After 9/11 the World War II memorial
constructed under George W. Bush is one example of a monument being used to
promote a current war.
George Bush's
speech, "Today as we fight a war against terrorism, we remember our
veterans' commitment to our country and their legacy of patriotism"(Doss,
206) is a prime example of using a memorial of a past war to promote a current
war. President Bush parallels the patriotism seen in World War II to the
soldiers serving in Iraq. This quote shows gratitude to two different eras of
soldiers and promotes a policy of the current President.
War Porn is one
way of conveying a message by playing on emotions of the viewer. Tableau, movies,
and video games make the memorial an active experience. These provide
active experiences for the viewer making it more memorable and more
real. Memorials of tanks and sunk submarines right after World War II made the
war that much more real for viewers. Paralleling this photos and tv footage of
Vietnam brought the war home to noncombatants. Even people who never fought
could now through technology have an experience of a war.
Paul Reilly
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